Home again

I'm sitting at the dining table, a roast is in the oven and I thought I'd write an update. Wales was fantastic. Going with older children meant the activities were far more challenging than on previous trips and we had exciting weather.

The day after the trip to the lighthouse was also spent on Anglesey, but in the north west of the island at a place called Porth Ruffydd (referred to as The Range). Sea-cliff traversing was the order of the day - sea-cliff reversing as the kids said it - and what a day we chose. A huge storm was brewing and we were catching the beginnings of it with massive waves and strong winds. Climbing around the cliffs attached to ropes in bitter conditions, with wet feet and numb fingers was a huge challenge. The kids rose to it amazingly - this is what they did...

Firstly across this gully...

... then around the corner where the waves were being funnelled through...

..then across here..

... and finally this!

This took the whole day with a lot of waiting to move on, fingers and toes growing colder and colder. The last picture was taken after we'd lunched, huddling for shelter out of the wind. The kids were all keen to go back to the centre to get warm and dry but were faced with another traverse, more dramatic than any of the others and despite being freezing, and scared, they did it - it was amazing!

The following day we were climbing, first outside on massive boulders and then inside on a great climbing wall called The Beacon. It has three main 'rooms' with climbs of all difficulty... just one pic to give you the idea..